Northwest History. International Diplomacy & Politics. The United States.

Comment Is Withheld United Ducment Can Be Studied.
WASHINGTON, May 7.—All official
Washington was reserving its comment on the peace treaty tonight while careful scanning the published official summary of its terms. In congress, where the treaty must run the gauntlet of the senate's ratification, both the leadesr who are expected to oppose it and those who are expected to support it were holding back statements while they studied its provisions. Soem statements were promised for tomorrow. Expressions from the executive departments were lacking since the president and the secretary of state are in Paris, from where it was assumed they would make any statement on behalf of that branch of the government. One expression here generally in government circles, however, was that the official summary justified the great majority of the press dispatches from Paris for the last five months. There were few surprises and these related rather to the methods by which some objects of the treaty have been approached rather than the objects themselves. As a monumental production of diplomacy the treaty takes a place in the state department archives, not only for its great length, but for its tremendous scope and the complete fashion in which the great variety of subjects is treated.
Senators Make No Statements.
Senator Hitchcock of Nebraska, retirign chairman of the senate foreign relations committee, said he would make no statement tonigth regarding the treaty, as he had been unable to study it. At the home of Senator Lodge, who will be chairman of the foreign relations committee of the new senate, this announcement was made: "Senator Lodge has nothing to say relative to the treaty. He wants to see the full text before he comments on it." Senator Borah of Idaho, a leading republican opponent of the league of nations plan, said that he would make no statement until he had opportunity to study the text. Comment also was withheld by others. One point in the treaty of particular interest to senators, officials and diplomats was the manner in which teh various provisions of the treaty proper were interwoven with those creating the league of nations. This was not surprising, hwoever, in view of statements heretofore made that the two subjects would be so combined it would be necessary for the senate to act upon tehm as a whole.
Resume Business Immediately.
Another condition to which attention was directed concerned the taking effect of the treaty, involving the termination of the state of war. This is made effective for each signatory power on the date of its ratification and it was said that the first power to ratify, if he reaty is accepted by Germany, might be in position to cap a substantial advantage as resumption of full business and other relations with Germany would follow immediately. Another point that attracted attention was the apparent radical change of the character of the league of nations as originally conceived, which must follow the placing upon that body of responsibility for the execution of some of the most important features of the peace treaty, including the administration through a commissioner of the Sarr valley and the task of seeing that Danzig is maintained as an international city. The situation of Danzig hereafter will be absolutely unique in modern history, as there is now no such thing known as a "free city," probably the nearest precedent being found in the case of Venice before the Italian federation.
"Gentlemen's Pact" Covers Shantung.
In some quartesr attention was called to the fact that in ceding Shantung to Japan no reference was made to its ultimate return to China by Japan, but it was said that this was covered by a "gentlemen's agreement" recorded in Paris. Recognition by Germany of the British protectorate over Egypt being a part of the peace treaty was regarded here as carrying with it similar recognition of British rights by all of the allied and associated powers, including America, and as settling at once the individualistic aspirations of the Egyptians.

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Comment Is Withheld United Ducment Can Be Studied.
WASHINGTON, May 7.—All official
Washington was reserving its comment on the peace treaty tonight while careful scanning the published official summary of its terms. In congress, where the treaty must run the gauntlet of the senate's ratification, both the leadesr who are expected to oppose it and those who are expected to support it were holding back statements while they studied its provisions. Soem statements were promised for tomorrow. Expressions from the executive departments were lacking since the president and the secretary of state are in Paris, from where it was assumed they would make any statement on behalf of that branch of the government. One expression here generally in government circles, however, was that the official summary justified the great majority of the press dispatches from Paris for the last five months. There were few surprises and these related rather to the methods by which some objects of the treaty have been approached rather than the objects themselves. As a monumental production of diplomacy the treaty takes a place in the state department archives, not only for its great length, but for its tremendous scope and the complete fashion in which the great variety of subjects is treated.
Senators Make No Statements.
Senator Hitchcock of Nebraska, retirign chairman of the senate foreign relations committee, said he would make no statement tonigth regarding the treaty, as he had been unable to study it. At the home of Senator Lodge, who will be chairman of the foreign relations committee of the new senate, this announcement was made: "Senator Lodge has nothing to say relative to the treaty. He wants to see the full text before he comments on it." Senator Borah of Idaho, a leading republican opponent of the league of nations plan, said that he would make no statement until he had opportunity to study the text. Comment also was withheld by others. One point in the treaty of particular interest to senators, officials and diplomats was the manner in which teh various provisions of the treaty proper were interwoven with those creating the league of nations. This was not surprising, hwoever, in view of statements heretofore made that the two subjects would be so combined it would be necessary for the senate to act upon tehm as a whole.
Resume Business Immediately.
Another condition to which attention was directed concerned the taking effect of the treaty, involving the termination of the state of war. This is made effective for each signatory power on the date of its ratification and it was said that the first power to ratify, if he reaty is accepted by Germany, might be in position to cap a substantial advantage as resumption of full business and other relations with Germany would follow immediately. Another point that attracted attention was the apparent radical change of the character of the league of nations as originally conceived, which must follow the placing upon that body of responsibility for the execution of some of the most important features of the peace treaty, including the administration through a commissioner of the Sarr valley and the task of seeing that Danzig is maintained as an international city. The situation of Danzig hereafter will be absolutely unique in modern history, as there is now no such thing known as a "free city," probably the nearest precedent being found in the case of Venice before the Italian federation.
"Gentlemen's Pact" Covers Shantung.
In some quartesr attention was called to the fact that in ceding Shantung to Japan no reference was made to its ultimate return to China by Japan, but it was said that this was covered by a "gentlemen's agreement" recorded in Paris. Recognition by Germany of the British protectorate over Egypt being a part of the peace treaty was regarded here as carrying with it similar recognition of British rights by all of the allied and associated powers, including America, and as settling at once the individualistic aspirations of the Egyptians.